Love Letters

Making time to make art...

A work in process... just a little Photoshop play using my collage work & calligraphy... I'm really not sure how I feel about this piece of digital art... I just can't decide if the background needs something behind the squares to sort of tie it all together... and I don't know if the swirls are too much, too busy? I've only spent about three or four hours (maybe more?) on it, and I'm not sure I want to spend any more time on it... at least not today...

This has been SUCH a nice day, all to myself... and I'm selfishly hoping my husband will not want to go out tonight, so I can stay home and play... or do whatever... or even better, he'll decide to go downtown with a couple of the guys from the bike shop, and I'll get to stay home alone even longer! I'm afraid I'm becoming a hermit. I could never leave my home, except perhaps for a walk or a bike ride, and be perfectly content. Just me and my pets and my art supplies! My house is a mess, and I don't even care about that! I really am lucky to be able to just play and pretty much worry about only myself most of the time. If only work didn't keep getting in the way!!!

Thank you note

This is a thank you note I made for a good friend of mine, Mary...
the image behind the calligraphy was made with a rubber stamp painted with metallic watercolor paint, which was allowed to dry, and then the words were written with a Pilot parallel pen. I hope she likes it!

It's hip to be square...

Dont be afraid to ask for help!

My friend, Michelle Ward, challenged me to design and use my own watermark, and I'm really glad she did. She also gave me some invaluable advice regarding how to size images I use for this blog, so that they'll look better. It's really true, no woman is an island, and asking for help is a good thing to do... especially when you're as stubborn and proud as I tend to be. (Those are not personality traits I'm particularly pleased to own!!!) So the moral of the story is "Don't be afraid to ask for help!!!"

So here's my attempt at a watermark, placed over a quote I scratched out the other day while in a big, fat hurry... I am really annoyed with myself when I don't take the time to draw lines or prepare things... I hate it when things aren't straight!!!

Thank you, Michelle!

This is Moo lying on my computer keyboard last night, while I was on the phone... how cute is that?!?!?

Saturday, August 25

This is a little doodle I did this morning, around 4:00 am, when I couldn't sleep... I used Pearl-Ex watercolors to put down a wash of color, and then wrote the date when the paper was dry.

This is another version of the watercolor wash, I'm not sure which one I like better... probably the rust colored one, since blue is not really one of my favorite colors. At any rate, it was a lot of fun to try a technique I don't use very often. I spent what seems like an inordinate amount of time playing with my new calligraphy pens... and I have to remind myself: Serious art requires serious play!

I was looking at Michelle Ward's blog, yesterday, and read her endorsement of the movie Becoming Jane about Jane Austen... which sounds like a really beautiful movie. The 21st was my birthday, and my daughter Corey and I went to the movies to celebrate. But we didn't go to see anything nearly as cerebral... we went to see Superbad....What can I say, I LAUGHED MY ASS OFF!!! I didn't expect to like it at all, I just really wanted to spend time with Corey... if you are in need of a good laugh, go see this movie... I'll go to see Becoming Jane with a girlfriend! (Be patient, this might take a moment to load!)

Red Ink....

I'm waiting impatiently for my new calligraphy pens, on their way from Pen and Ink Arts. I purchased the entire set of pens, in five different sizes, and cannot wait to get them to play with!!! So, until I receive them, I guess I'll have to just keep on practicing with the tools I have... there are so many calligraphers I am in awe of... Dennis Brown, Sheila Waters, Lisa Engelbrecht... I love the colors and free sort of feeling their work exemplifies. Nothing stilted or forced, just beautiful letters! This is a link to Lisa's blog (see list on left, also)
http://www.lisaletters.blogspot.com/

Surprise, surprise, surprise...

Today's color theme is the orange family, can you tell? I seem to gravitate to this color combination, as it is one of my all time favorites...

This "M" is part of an envelope going out to a special friend, which contains a special suprise that I hope she is thrilled to receive...
Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!

GPP Street Team Crusade #11...

My favorite band of ALL time, is the Chris Duarte Group out of Austin, TX...

I've seen Chris at least a half dozen times and try my best to never miss a show within a hundred miles of here. He is incredibly talented and very passionate about his music, and his enthusiasm is infectious. If you ever have a chance to see him live, make it a point to go... he will likely be playing in a fairly small venue, the show will be reasonably priced, and you'll see one hell of a performer! Oh, BTW, Chris is quite easy on the eyes, too... definitely wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers!!!

Here's a quote about Chris from an interview done in the early 90's... read on:

'Back in the day, Eddie Van Halen was asked, "How does it feel to be the best guitar player in the world?". He responded, "I don't know, ask Chris Duarte".
I think that's enough validation on how real Duarte's skills are.'

How's that for a compliment?!?!? Favorite CDG album is Texas Sugar/Strat Magik which contains the following songs:

My Way Down / Letter To My Girlfriend / C-Butt Rock / Just Kissed My Baby
Shiloh / Scrawl / What Can I Do? / Big-Legged Woman / Borrowed Love

Calligraphy happenings...

I bought a new calligraphy tool that I am in love with, it's a Pilot Parallel Pen, an inexpensive pen with a terrific metal nib that is reportedly quite durable, and very free flowing ink. I bought the 2.4mm nib, and it comes in three other sizes... 1.5mm, 3.8mm, & 6.0mm. I'm going to have to buy one of every size, and all the colors of ink that I can! Here is the link to the calligraphy supply catalog I order my supplies from:

http://www.paperinkarts.com/shop.html

(I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to make that an active link, but I'll work on it!). The lettering done on my journal entry above is done with my new pen and while it isn't perfect (operator issues, not pen issues!), it was SO much fun to do! I'm so fussy about pens and ink and paper, and if the tool isn't just right, I don't enjoy the work... but this baby made writing FUN!!! I'm much more likely to keep practicing with a tool I like this much! If only Pilot would come out with a similar pen to do Copperplate practice with!

This is a corner of a piece of mail art I made for Stephanie, who sent me a VERY cool piece of mail art, thank you, Stephanie!... how lucky am I?!? I hope she likes what I've sent her!

Here's a scan of the mail Stephanie from Colorado sent to me...

VERY cool!!